The present invention is directed to a toilet, and more particularly to a water control mechanism for directing water flowing through the rim of the toilet bowl.
In the past, conventional flushing mechanisms used in toilet flushing operations generally used one of two different approaches to remove waste material from the toilet bowl. In the first approach, siphoning action was utilized to create a vacuum which drew bowl water and waste water into the drain line and refilled the bowl with fresh water. In a second approach which was typically used in household applications, a tank on the toilet bowl held a predetermined amount of water which, when released, generated a high velocity flow which carried bowl water and waste into the drain line and refilled the bowl with fresh water. The second approach relied on the weight of the water due to gravity to flush and replenish the bowl. Since the weight of the water alone was utilized to flush and replenish the bowl, conventional toilets using this conventional system required about 3 to 5 gallons per flush (GPF).
In response to the increasing concern to conserve water, legislation was enacted requiring reduced water consumption in the flushing of toilets. As of Jan. 1, 1994, toilets must consume less than or equal to 1.6 GPF. As a result, the construction of toilets has changed to compensate for the low water consumption requirements. Changes in construction have included modifications in the design of the trapway, tank, bowl and flushing valves.
The basic function of a water closet is to dispose of waste material utilizing a water flush action. Flushing efficiency is dependent on the volume and flow rate of the water introduced into the bowl and the water discharge means defined by the bowl rim. In conventional toilets, the toilet rim is hollow and generally of uniform cross-sectional shape. When the toilet is flushed, water will flow through the rim and exit through small holes on the underside of the rim to wash the sides of the bowl during flushing. This flow also acts to assist in creating an appropriate siphon action in certain toilets. Typically, the water enters the rim on each side, traveling both in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. The bifurcated water streams traveling within the opposite sides of the rim cavity meet at the front of the bowl, whereat the water is downwardly discharged onto the front wall surface of the toilet bowl through discharge orifices which are located on the underside of the rim. Typical rim discharge orifices include holes, slots, and a combination thereof, which can be aligned perpendicular to the underside surface of the rim or oriented angularly toward the bowl.
The prior art discloses various shaped orifices in toilet bowl rims. More specifically the prior art has shown the use of raised plateaus and well-like sections formed in the rim floor adjacent the front of the bowl. These modifications in the rim at the front section of the rim direct the bifurcated water streams to exit directly at the central front portion of the bowl. Vortex action is thus not created and the bulk flushing performance is weak.
It is desirable to control the flow of the water in the rim such that the bifurcated water streams meet at a point on a side of the rim. It is important that vortex action is created to provide improved siphonic action during the flushing cycle.